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Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin Grants

The application period for Fiscal Year 2025 Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin grants closed on September 9, 2024.

DATCP staff held a webinar on August 6 sharing information about creating a successful Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin grant proposal. Scroll down to access a video recording.

Launched in 2008, the Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin (BLBW) competitive grant program is designed to strengthen Wisconsin’s agricultural and food industries by working to reduce the marketing, distribution, and processing hurdles that impede the expansion of sales of Wisconsin’s food products to local purchasers.

Managed by DATCP, the grants can help farms and business more efficiently process, market and distribute food in local markets including stores, schools and institutions. Keeping food dollars in Wisconsin communities supports local businesses, improves farm incomes, and creates jobs.

A total of $200,000 is available in grant funding through the program; the maximum award for each project is $50,000, and grant applicants must provide a cash or in-kind match of at least 50 percent of the total project budget. Generally, qualified applicants include individuals, groups or businesses involved in Wisconsin production agriculture, food processing, food distribution, food warehousing, retail food establishments or agricultural tourism operations. Proposals can include individual projects, collaborations or partnerships.

Since its inception in 2008, 584 applications have been submitted for BLBW grants, requesting a total of more than $20.3 million in funding. Of those applications, 117 projects have been funded, totaling more than $2.97 million. Previous grant recipients have generated more than $14.49 million in new local food sales, created and retained more than 500 jobs, and benefited more than 5,400 producers and 5,289 markets.